Mr. Wyatt opened the car door for his daughter, Andrea, and smiled.

“Did you have a good time with Mario?” He asked.

Andrea nodded, glancing back at Mario’s house. “Can you believe they live in that great big house?” Andrea asked her father. “They have six bedrooms?”

Mr. Wyatt looked at the house as he started the car. “It sure is a big house,” He nodded, “You’re right. One of the nicest in town. They built houses better back then, I guess,” He sighed, “You know that place is probably about 115 years old.” He studied the old yellow house and grinned, “But, I’ll bet it costs a fortune to heat in the winter.”

“So what if it does?” Andrea frowned, “Mario’s father is an important lawyer. He makes a lot of money.”

“Well, I don’t.” Mr. Wyatt laughed, “Your step-mom and I are both teachers. I don’t think we’ll ever live in a palace. But, we have everything we need and a little extra.”

“Do we?” Andrea pouted.

Mr. Wyatt frowned, “Yes, I think so. Don’t you?” He drove the car away from Mario’s house and began the short trip from Poplar Hill Road to their house on River Road.

“You know what they just got?” Andrea asked, but she didn’t wait for her father to answer. “One of those new flat screen TVs. And not just a small one…a great big one. It makes the picture look,” Andrea paused, she couldn’t think of the right word. She settled on “Good.”

Mr. Wyatt nodded.

Andrea continued, “And when we watch movies over there—well, they’re just better looking on DVD than on our silly old VCR.”

“Perhaps one day we’ll get a DVD player.” Mr. Wyatt said, “But right now, we’re lucky to have a VCR.”

“Mario has a DVD player in his room!” Andrea exclaimed. “I don’t even have a TV in my room.”

“You have a radio.” Mr. Wyatt said plainly.

“Oh sure, Uncle Chauncey’s old clock radio. All the stations come in all fuzzy.”

“That’s more than I had in my room when I was your age.” Mr. Wyatt said.

Andrea rolled her eyes.

“You know what I had in my room?” Mr. Wyatt asked.

“Furniture made out of rocks and a little straw mat for your pet dinosaur to sleep on?” Andrea answered.

“No,” Mr. Wyatt sighed, “Books. And, I used to read them. And, get this, I read them because I wanted to, not because I had to for school.” He laughed, “Books. You should try them.”

“I don’t see why we can’t get a new TV—at least in the living room.” Andrea whined, ignoring her father’s suggestion that she read.

“We can’t afford it right now.” Mr. Wyatt said calmly.

“Why not?” Andrea pouted again.

“Well, because we have to make the house payments to the bank that lent us the money to buy our house. We have to pay for our water, electricity, gas and telephone. We have to pay for food and clothes and for the car. All that adds up.” Mr. Wyatt answered honestly, “And on our teachers’ salaries, that’s all we can afford.”

“Mr. Lambini is a teacher, too. And, he and Iggy have a much nicer house than ours.” Andrea argued, referring to her friend, Iggy and his father.”

“Paolo Lambini is a professor at a university and he makes more money than I do.” Mr. Wyatt answered.

“Why don’t you go teach at a university?” Andrea asked. “You’re just as smart as Iggy’s dad.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”’ Mr. Wyatt chuckled, “But, Mr. Lambini has had more training and schooling than I have and is better qualified to teach at a college. Besides, I like teaching at Vista Falls Elementary. And, so does Virginia. Neither of us wants to leave there.”

“But, couldn’t you?” Andrea whined.

“You want me to change my whole life just so you can have a DVD player?” Mr. Wyatt was beginning to get angry.

“Well,” Andrea frowned, “Couldn’t you?”

“End of discussion, young lady.” Mr. Wyatt said as they pulled into their driveway.

Without another word, Andrea walked into the house, leaving her father in the driveway. She walked in the front door and waved at her Uncle Chauncey who was sitting in his favorite green chair, watching TV. Uncle Chauncey had come to live with Andrea and her family when he became very ill a few years before. They all helped to take care of him.

“Hello, Andie!” Uncle Chauncey waved.

But, Andrea didn’t stop to chat with her Uncle Chauncey. She didn’t even want to be in the same room with their tiny old TV. She wished they could have a big new TV like Mario’s.

Angrily, she stomped up to her room and shut the door. Throwing herself on the bed, she looked around her bedroom.

“Ooooooo! I hate this room!” Andrea squealed. “Stupid, ugly curtains! Nothing cool in here! Nothing to do!”

She began to cry. “I wish we were rich! I wish we had a better life!”

Andrea isn’t being very nice. Is she? Of course, we all wish for things. And, we always will see something that someone else has that we want. But, is Andrea forgetting about what’s really important? What do you think? Come back to see if Andrea realizes all of the wonderful things she really does have at home.